Typographical composing mechanism



Nov. 2, l1954 L. ROSSETTO -TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MECHANISM Filed June 5. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 J e l l llllmllmlnl v TYPOGRAPHICAL `corvxPosINc: MECHANISM V Filed June l5, 1951 2 sheets-spr 2 l Y 2,693,270 TYPOGRAPHICAL coMPo'slNo MECHANISM rLouis Rossetto', Flushing, N. Y., 'assgnor to Mergentllaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application June 5,1951, Serial No. l230,046 Claims, (cl. 199z7)' This invention vrelates `to typographical composing machines suchv as Linotype machines, wherein matrices, when released'from a magazine by the manipulation of a keyboard, pass downwardly or-through a vertical channeledraceway or front plate and onto the upper stretch of an inclined endless conveyor belt vfrom which they pass through a guide throatoi chute to an assembler, wherein they are composed in line under .the inuence of a constantly rotating star wheel.

As ordinarily constructed, the assembler throat, at its lower side, is constitutedby a pair of curved guide rails partially enclosing the star wheel and whereon the matrices. are discharged by the conveyor belt; and, at its upper side, the throat is constituted by a so-called chute spring which is arranged to engage the side faces of the matrices and confine them to their proper path of travel just before they enter the assembler. Although the matrices, passing under the control of the chute spring, are caused to followr the curvature of the rails until they engage the star wheel, it is also important that they be further guided and restrained against deflection-upwardly by the star wheel as they pass from under said spring.

For this reason, the chute vspring usually is formed at its lower end with a pair of horizontally vdisposed prongs which are intended to hold the matrices down as they are about to enterl the assembler. in practice,I however, it has beenl found that the aforesaid chute spring is incapable of handling matrices above a certain thickness because the extent of its displacement by extremely thick orhead-letter matrices is so great that the horizontally vdisposed prongs either fail tov function at all, ork snap downwupon the upper ends of the matrices as they clear kthe spring and thus interfere with rather than ,assist in their assemblage. As a result, the matrices-*frequently clog or pile'up inthe chute or'throat and must be removed by hand, slowing up the work of composition.

The present invention aims to overcome the above and other objections, tirst, by dispensing with the star wheel entirely and substituting therefor oscillatory means operative to push the matrices directly into the assembler as they leavel the throat and, second, by replacing the chute spring with a pair of xed rails disposed directly over those on the lower side of the throat and adapted to guide the descending matrices only by their projecting ears as they pass therethrough.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown merely in preferred form, by way of example, and therefore is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the assembling devices immediately concerned with the present improvements and showing the oscillating pusher device in its retracted position;

Fig. 2 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1, but on a larger scale, showing the oscillating pusher device in its active position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the pusher element and its supporting arm; and indicating, in broken lines, the housing bracket for the arm actuating spring; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

As previously stated, after the matrices X are released from their storage magazine (not shown), they pass 2,693,270 Patented Nov. 2, y1954:

e with upper and lower projecting-ears x which generally are located at one side of theindividual matrices, that side being the rear or following one. When, therefore, the matrices are delivered to the conveyor belt B, they will lie upon their 'rear sides and their projecting ears (which in themselves vary but slightly in thickness) will pursue substantially the same path to the assembler elevator without regard to the body thickness of the matrices. Y.

According tothe present invention,andas best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the upper side of the assembler throat C comprises a pair of curved guide rails C1 and the lower side yof said throat ajpair of curved guide rails C2, ,the rails .C1 being secured by clamping screws c to the rear wall of the channeled raceway A, and the rails C2' also being secured to'said wall by screws and dowel pins c1. The upper guide rails C1 (Fig- 2) are held properly spaced apart by Vsleeves c2 mounted on the shank portions of the screws c, `while the lower guide' rails C2, for the same reason, are connected in the usual way to the front and rear sides of a spacing block c3. lf it should be desired to handle matrix fonts wherein certain of the thicker matrices are back milled or, in other words, have their projecting ears offset from their rear side faces, the upper guide rails C1 ofthe throat, by removing the screws c, could readily be interchanged with anoth'erpair having a different curvature and spaced a slightlygreater distance from the lower railsy C2. Or, instead of removing the upper guide rails C1 completely for replacement in such instances, they could easily be made adjustable 'toward andfrom the lower rails C2 by forming them with short slots instead of drilled apertures to yaccommodate the screws c. `,As in all commercial Linotype machines,

Vthe assemblerv throat C and certain parts immediately adjacent thereto are normally concealed by a cover plateC3 "(indicatedby-the broken lines in Fig. l) which serves lprimarily as the front side wall of the throat and is hingedly mounted at lits lower left hand cornerfso that it may be swung downwardly out of .the way, when access to thethroat and the receiving end of thel assembler D is desired. Y l f' In carrying out the present invention, oscillatory means are employed for pushing the matrices, one after another as they leave the throat C, directly into the assembler elevator D and at the same time stack them in line against the upstanding linger E1 of the well known assembler slide E. Such means, as best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, include a vertically disposed bell crank lever F mounted on a pivot screw f and actuated by a compression spring F1 under the control of an edge cam G, the latter being constantly rotated by a chain and sprocket drive I in a l to l ratio from the shaft B1 of the belt driving` pulley B2, and arranged to engage an antifriction roller f1 attached to one arm F2 of the bell crank lever. The other arm F1 of the lever F (Fig. 2) rises vertically from the pivot screw f alongside the entrance to the assembler elevator D, and the actuating spring F1 for said lever directly engages the arm F3. As shown best in Figs. l and 2, the spring F1 is mounted in a horizontally disposed housing bracket H located immediately below the spacing block c3 for the lower guide rails C2 and also fastened to the rear side wall of the channeled raceway A. At one end, the bracket H (Figs. 2 and 5) is bifurcated to accommodate the adjacent edge of the vertical arm F3 of the lever F, and at its opposite end it is provided with a sustaining screw H1 for the compression spring F1, said screw being capable of an adjustment, when desired, to regulate the potential energy of said spring and in any case to tension it sufficiently to overcome the resistance presented by the assembler slide E through its upstanding nger E1. A lock nut h, mounted on the screw H1 and seated against the bracket H, holds the screw in its adjusted position.

The vertical arm F3 of the lever F (Figs. 2, 4 and 5) is equipped with a pusher element. F4 pivotally connected.

thereto by a screw stud f2 and provided with a light pull spring F5 for holding it yieldingly in its active position (Figs. 1 and 2) against astop pin f3 projecting forwardly from the front face of sai'd arm. The. pusher element F4 is formed with a rounded nose portion. f4 arranged to engage the rear side faces of the matrices as they leave the throat C on. their way tov the assembler D', and the cam Gf is formed withhigh and l'ow portions g1 and g?, respectively. Consequently whenever a. matrix. in the course of. its. descent strikes the nose portion. f4` of the pusher element,.thelatter. will' yield momentarily (see the dotted line showing in Fig. 2)' to permit the passage of the matrix and then beallowed to snap back to its normal or active position as the verticalV arm F3' of the bell. crank lever Fv is swung clockwise by rotation ofthe cam G, against the tension of the compression spring F1' to its inactive position shown. in. Fig. 1. In` order that the pusher element F4' may more. readily be displaced or rocked out of the Way by the descending matrices regardless of their thickness,l the pull spring. F5 is located immediately below and just oit' dead center with the pivotal axis of. said element when the latter occupies its normal position against the stop pin f3 (Fig. 2).. In. other words,` the arrangement is suchthat the nose portion. f4 of the pusher element will` not interfere or appreciably retard the descent ofthe thinner and lighter matrices as they are composed iin line.

Itv should now' be clear that matrices Xpassing through the throat or chute C and entering the assembler elevator D will be stacked one after another in line against the upstanding fingerA El of the' assembler slide E -as the pusher element" F4 is continuously' oscill'ated by the bell crank lever F.

What is claimed is':

1. Typographical composing mechanism including, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are com posed in line a conveyor belt fori,delivering the matrices tothe assembler, a guide throat or' chute leading fromthe discharge end ofthe belt to the entrance of the assembler; an oscillatory pusher `element arranged to engage the matricesV one4 by one as. they leave the throat during the composition of the line and advance them directly into the assembler, a pivotedz bell' crank' lever capable of beingv rocked' through a limited number of degrees in opposite directions to eect the oscillations of the pusher element at the proper rate, said lever having one arm extendingk upwardly adjacent they entrance to the assembler and carrying at its free end the pusher element which is pivotally mountedv thereon for a rocking movement in a i downward direction from its operative position thereon so as to be capable of being rocked out of the way by Cil the. descending. matric.es and.. said. lever having its. other arm extending away fromv the assembler entrance and carrying at its free end a roller, a spring acting upon the upwardly extending arm of the bell crank lever for effecting the matrix advancing stroke of the pusher element, a rotary cam arranged in engagement with the roller on the other arm of the bellv crank lever for controlling the action of the spring and for cifecting the return stroke of: the pusher element against the tension of the spring, vand driving means for rotating the cam continuously and thus oscillating the pusher element continuously.

2. A combination according to claim 1, including a stop pin for locating the pusher element in its upper operative position on the bell crank lever, and a light pull spring for holdingsaidf element yieldingly against the stop pin.

3. Typographical composing mechanism including, in combinatiom an assembler wherein. the matrices are composed in line, a conveyor belt for delivering the matrices to the assembler', a guide throat orl chute leading from the discharge end ofthe belt to the; entrance, of the assembler, an oscillatory pusher element arranged to engage the matrices one byl one as they leave the throat during the composition of the. line and advance them directly into the assembler, a. pivoted bell crank lever capable of being rocked through a limited number of degrees in opposite directions to elect the oscillations of the pusher element at theI proper rate, said lever having one arm extending upwardly adjacent the entrance to the assembler and carrying at its free end the pusher element, and said lever havingzits other armextending away from the assembler entrance and carrying at its free end a roller, a spring acting upon j the upwardly extending arm of the bell crank lever fork effecting the matrix advancing stroke of the pusher element, a rotary cam arranged in engage ment with the rolleron the other arm of the bell crank lever for controlling the action of the spring and for effecting the return stroke of the pusher element against 'the tension of the spring, driving means for rotating the 'cam continuously and thus oscillating the pusher element continuously, and means for regulating, the tension of the spring which actuates the bell crank', lever.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,231,906 Kennedy' July 3, 1917 1,314,836 Volkrnan Sept. 2, 1919 `138269,36() Guest Aug. 2, 1932 2,163,3904 Fine June 20, 1939 Fine Dec. 13, 1949 

